Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-12-24
SOAPS AND TOWELS.
GRAVE RISKS RUN BY GUESTS OF
AMERICAN HOTELS.
The perils of Using Cheap and pasty
: Toilet soaps-Disastrou Effects OH tho
s skln--Disoase Germs In the Public


slsln--Disoase Germs In the Public
wasli Room. =
Tho writer has had u wide experience
a1mong the great establishments OF Now
z ork, and in only two has found toilet soap
that was really of superior quality. Many
sproprictors purchase cheap Castillo and poor
scottonseed oil soap by the hundred bers:
cut :thes9 into convenient cakes. They
Cleanse well and general 7nre free from
coarsc perfumes and poisonous coloring mat
ter. But nearly oil brands Of this class are
poorly made and strongly alkaline. They
not only attack the skin and eventually pro-
ducc sores, but they also irritatc the mouths
of tho pores md cat into the glands and the
oil they contain. Their use gives q clean
skin, but ono thatis dry, rough and inelastic
Frequently, after fow days, dried white
patches rise and full of, tho lips and nostrils
chap and a general feeling OF uneasiness and
even positive discomfort results. Worse
than these are the cheap and pasty toilet
soaps so much in vogue. They are made
from rancid vegetable oils and half decom-
posed acid animal fats with impure alkalies,
in the shortest time and the cheapest manner
possible. To cover up their foulness or poor
workmanship, the manufacturer celors them
with brilliant dyes or very dark dyes, and
with tho rankest essential oils the mari:et
affords
A cake taken from second ratio Broad
way house is n good case in point. 1t has
neat oval form, strong but pleasant odor,
fathers freely, and is of handsome rich
brown hue To any but an expert it would
appear superior article, while to q hotel
proprietor it offers besides all these attractive
qualities, the far moro fascinating clement Of
extreme chcapness. Careful examination
md analysis show that the brown color con-
ceals slovcnly workmanship, which would
otherwise DO exposed, ia irregular masses Of
varying shade and consistency, and that the
strong essential Oils servo to smother o rank
smell Of putrofaction and nauseating raw
materials. The amount of the oils is so largo
as to act as u lubefacient and even an irri-
tant upon tho skin.
Tho writer once cxpeHmentaliy rubbed it
on his face and allowed the thin saponcceous
film to remain ten minutes before washing
it off, On its disappearance he found the
cuticlo covered b. numerous red points inter-
mediate in appearance botwccE gene and
eczema, which lastcl twenty-four hours be-
fore the face resumed its natural appearance
Such toilet soap applied to women Of fine
compilations bat OF sensitive skins would ruin
their appearance in less than a fortnight,
and would in the long run produce condi-
Lion Of the cuticle which would require
weeks of medical treatment to restore to its
:pristins state. Far worse would be its use
upon babies and young children. Their skin
is finer and more delicate than can be easily
described. Irritated by such soaps it would
break out into painful eruptions and in q
short willie thereafter into running sores
rho eyils lacari bob "a
room and bathroom; those OF the public. 4
wash room arc far worse. Hero q larger
cake is employed, and almost invariahlssoiie
whose workmanship is so, i1fnsfof that with
the slightest use it becomes pulpy or sticky.
In tlis condition it docs oil the harm men
toned, and besides this it may act and fire.
quontly docs act as q vehicle for disease
virus and disease germs.
A person suffering from a skin complaint
or from some blood disease, which maiifests
itself in cutaneous disorders, ulcers OF other
sores, uses the cake, and by the mere friction
of rubbing looscns scales and pieces of dis
eased matter which are retained by the glu-
tenous surface of the soap. These may or
may not contain tho virus or the germs re-
fcrred to. -E-thcg o.tlcs:next person who
uses tho calSo runs serious risk Of absorbing
the contasion and becoming sufferer from
the same disease So bad are matters in this
regard that tho only safo rule for person
solic;tous for his health is to never use the
soaps supplied by hotels for patrons and
guests, but to always carry his own with
him or to try fresh cake, no matter how
great tho temptation may DO to use that
which is freely offered in places of public re-
sort
Moro objectionable yet arc tho unwieldy
rollor towel, tho saloon towel, and tho long
and broad towels Of tho wash room. These
under any and all circumstances are dis
graco to tho house that uses thcm end an in
suit to it's customers The towel removes
moisture from the face nnd hands by rub
binr Tho friction docs more, however, than
remove moisture alone. 1t forces off scales,
pieces Of dead skin, lymph from cuts and
abras;oas. llucus from tho nostrils, perspira-
tons from the pores, pus from sores and
ulcers, and anything liquid that may be cx-
crcted from tho body or may have been
thrown upon its surface. Tho fibrous and
intc-laced structure of the towel make it a
marvellous receptacle and catch all for these
varied substances. They romain in its inter
Slices until it is washed, and even long after,
unless it is thoroughly boiled and rubbed
with strong laundry soap or treated with ia
velle water or chloride of lime. 1t is ell very-
well for the first man who applies towel Of
tho class mentioned to his face and hands;
tho second nan runs risk, and the risk in
crcases automatically with each user
American Analyst.